NBA odds: Suns vs. Spurs

By Jordan Walters
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Sports Betting at WagerWeb Online Sportsbook

What was supposed to be arguably the NBA's best-ever first-round playoff matchup could end in a surprising five games on Tuesday night unless the Phoenix Suns pull a surprise in San Antonio, where the Spurs are 5-point betting favorites (over/under: 197.5) on WagerWeb.com for Game 5.

Phoenix is coming off a strong, energetic performance in Game 4, but no team in NBA history has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.

Before the San Antonio stars sat out the fourth quarter Sunday, Phoenix had 93 points despite only seven from Amaré Stoudemire. The good offensive energy was often a product of getting stops, a welcome change in Game 4 as the Suns played the ballhandlers aggressively in pick-and-roll situations and Shaquille O'Neal dropped off to thwart their entries into the paint. The Spurs trailed by at least 20 points for most of the second half in the 105-86 loss.

"We just played harder, and that's the key," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "For whatever reason, we had our collective energy up."

Tim Duncan went 6 of 18 Sunday with O'Neal, Boris Diaw and Stoudemire all chipping in while also deterring San Antonio drives, the ones that hurt Phoenix so badly in the first three games.

Diaw, starting in place of injured Grant Hill, had 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in one of the best playoff performances of his career.

"I trust him. I always have," D'Antoni said. "I think he's a heck of a basketball player. He's been maligned here a little bit, but he can play. He stepped up big."

 

Diaw also played tough defense on his good friend and fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, who scored 18 points after a career-high 41 in San Antonio's 115-99 victory Friday night in Game 3. In addition, Raja Bell scored 27 points for Phoenix, after totaling 25 in the previous three games.

The Spurs' trio of Parker, Duncan and Manu Ginobili finished with 42 points, exactly half of what it had been averaging in the series.

Even though the defending champions have a 3-1 series lead, they want to wrap it quickly and avoid a return trip to Phoenix. The Spurs have fallen into a double-digit hole in the first half of three of four games.

"We know that winning a Game 6 there is going to be really tough. If we don't, then Game 7 we know is a lottery," Ginobili said. "We don't even have to think that there's a Game 6 or Game 7. We have to take (Game 5) as a Game 7. We know we have a great opportunity at home."

D'Antoni said Diaw will start Game 5 in place of Grant Hill, who didn't play Sunday and may sit out Tuesday because of a sore right groin.

The Spurs haven't lost back-to-back playoff games since 2006. Only nine of the 85 teams that were behind 3-0 survived to see a Game 6, which would be Thursday in Phoenix if the Suns win. Phoenix rallied from this 3-1 hole two years ago, albeit with two home games remaining and a weaker opponent in the Lakers.

Betting trends: Spurs are 14-3-1 ATS in their last 18 playoff games as a favorite. ... Spurs are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games. ... Underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings. ... Over is 8-1 in Suns' last 9 games as a road underdog. ... Over is 4-0 in Spurs' last 4 games as a favorite.